What ‘shocked’ Michael Jordan about winning 1996 NBA All-Star MVP, made surprising LA Lakers legend take

Even Michael Jordan was surprised when he was named the 1996 NBA All-Star game.

The 1995-96 NBA season marked the start of a new era for the Chicago Bulls as the legendary Michael Jordan would play his first full season for the team since retiring in 1993.

While MJ returned to the team in the 1994-95 season, he hardly played any games and looked rusty due to his time away from the NBA.

However, MJ and the Bulls bounced back the next season, with the then-3x NBA champion leading the team from the front. Evidently, Mike won a plethora of individual accolades that season, including the All-Star game MVP trophy.

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Michael Jordan expected Shaquille O’Neal to win the honor

The 1996 NBA All-Star game ended with Team East registering a 129-118 win over Team West. Evidently, it made sense for Jordan to be named the MVP, as he was a part of the winning side.

However, it can be debated that LA Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal could have won the honor too, and even Jordan agreed. Shaq was a member of the Orlando Magic at the time.

“I was shocked when I won. The fans will always have their opinion. They had their own favorites in the game. It easily could have been Shaq the way he finished the game,” MJ said, according to the Chicago Tribune.

He added: “I felt kind of strange standing out there with the MVP trophy and the crowd making their own selection. I wish I could have done something about it. But I don’t vote. It’s one of those circumstances I can’t control.”

For comparison, Jordan contributed 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist in 22 minutes. On the other hand, O’Neal had 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 1 assist in 28 minutes of playing time.

It would have made sense to give O’Neal the honor, but considering it was Jordan’s first full season in two years, the crowd was in favor of His Airness lifting the trophy.

Michael Jordan’s outstanding 1995-96 NBA season

Aside from winning the 1996 NBA All-Star game trophy, MJ added a plethora of other accolades to his name as well.

Jordan finished the season with 30.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. He took home the scoring title and the regular-season NBA MVP trophy while earning an All-NBA team selection.

Most importantly, Jordan and the Bulls finished the regular season with a 72-10 record. It was the best regular season record in NBA history until the Golden State Warriors’ 73-9 campaign in 2015-16.

As expected, Jordan led the Bulls to the 1996 NBA Championship, earning his fourth NBA ring and NBA Finals MVP award.